This introductory course uses a layered methodology to teach the fundamental operation of a desktop computer. The first layer exposes the student to the operation of a simple microprocessor. There will be simple microprocessor programming exercises designed to complement instruction regarding the internal operations of the microprocessor. The student will learn to examine and manipulate the ways microprocessors work with other components in a computer. The next layer of instruction focuses on the primary components of a desktop computer. These components will include mother-boards, CPUs, memory, drives and interface devices. The next layer of instruction focuses on the installation and configuration of primary components in support of various end-user applications. This layer will also examine the use of supporting software, maintenance plans and provide an introduction to disaster recovery. Particular emphasis will be placed on the energy profiles of desktop and laptop computers as well as the rapidly emerging "smart devices". This will be supplemented with information regarding the latest developments from the manufacturers regarding technology designed to reduce the energy profiles of computing technology. Instruction for this course will be lecture based and supplemented with hands-on lab exercises.

This course introduces basic concepts involved in the electronic transmission of data from one computer system to another utilizing local and wide area networks. The major types of network topologies, protocols, and infrastructures are discussed and students are presented with various networking models and standards. Topics covered will include; the OSI model, TCP/IP, 802.3, Protocol Data Units (PDUs), physical and logical network topology, IP addressing, variable length subnet masking (VLSM) , networking components and basic network design. Students will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to implement, administer, and troubleshoot basic networking systems and hardware. Students are introduced to configuring network routers using command line tools.

This course introduces students to installing, configuring, managing, and supporting a network infrastructure using the most current Microsoft server platform. This course includes topics such as: installing and configuring Domain Name Service (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), network security, Certificate Services, Internet Protocol Security (IPSec), Software Update Services, Routing and Remote Access, File Services, Print Services, and network maintenance.

This course introduces students to the Linux operating system and develops core skills in configuration and installation of the operating system on an Intel-based computer. Topics include effectively using, customizing, and scripting common command line utilities. Students develop an understanding of file systems, users and groups, the Bash shell, process management, text editors, searching and organizing data, and various applications.

This course builds on the fundamentals taught in CISA 1110. The purpose of this course is to provide the student with an understanding of both the logical and physical movement of data through computer hardware. This instruction will be delivered through both lecture and hands-on lab exercises. The student will study the logical movement of data through the stages of creation, transmission, receipt and action. The interaction of hardware and software in the control of data flow will be examined. The student will study physical technologies used for interfacing or connecting external devices to individual computers to expand functionality. The course also examines the physical technologies used to interface individual computers to each other to form networks. The topics covered in this area will include serial ports, Universal Serial Bus (USB), Biometrics, Ethernet (802.3 standards and revisions), Wireless (802.11 standards and revisions), Structured Cabling standards, Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) and Serial ATA (SATA). Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 1 with minimum 60% grade point average.

Building upon concepts from CISA 1120, this course introduces routing and router configuration, explores networking protocols, and applies routing concepts within a lab environment. Topics covered include routing concepts and theory, Cisco operating system management, variable length subnet masking (VLSM), classless inter-domain routing (CIDR), routing protocols, and access control lists (ACLs). Routing protocols covered include Routing Information Protocol (RIPv1, RIPv2), Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), and Open Shortest Path First (OSPF). Students will learn how to configure routers, interpret routing tables and troubleshoot connectivity issues. Students will have extensive hands-on experience with routers and switches in a networked lab environment. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 1 with minimum 60% grade point average.

Building upon concepts and skills from CISA 1130, students will learn how to install, configure, and administer Active Directory Services on the most recent Microsoft server platform. This course teaches students through lectures, discussions, demonstrations, textbook exercises, and classroom labs. Students learn to plan for, implement, and maintain forests, sites, domains, and organizational units that meet the accessibility, performance, and security goals of a production network. Students will use Group Policy to deploy software and configure a computer or user environment. In addition, students configure Name Resolution Services and Certificate Services. Finally, students learn troubleshooting techniques that are valuable for the maintenance of a network environment. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 1 with minimum 60% grade point average.

Building upon knowledge from CISA 1140, this course advances the student skills to effectively administer Linux systems. Students will master tasks such as hardware and device configuration, file system management, user and group administration, network configurations, kernel services, attaching new Linux systems to a corporate network, configuring the new systems for end-users, and troubleshooting. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 1 with minimum 60% grade point average.

Building upon theory from CISA 1110 and CISA 1210, this course provides an understanding of the physical operation of the enterprise server. Students will explore the basic architecture of the server and the components of that architecture. The server data storage technologies of Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) and Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) will be presented. There will be a review of the elements of effective Disaster Recovery. Industry standard methods of service performance monitoring will be explored. Instruction will be supplemented with hands-on lab exercises. The course will also examine recent advances in server I/O subsystems, CPU architecture and memory. These advances and others will be used to understand the concepts involved in improved data centre performance, reliability, simplicity and flexibility. The course will place emphasis on the advantages of designing a data centre as a unified computing system. There will be an examination of the impact of the data centre on the electrical grid. This will include comparisons of the electrical impacts of cooling methodology. Students will research energy reduction technologies offered by both server and component manufacturers. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 2 with minimum 60% grade point average.

Building upon skills from CISA 1220 and CISA 1120, this course extends the student's knowledge and practical experience with routers and switches with a focus on enterprise switching and wide area networking (WAN) technologies. Topics include virtual local area networks (VLANs), spanning-tree protocol, rapid spanning-tree protocol, virtual trunking protocol, Inter-VLAN routing, network address translation, point-to-point protocol, Frame Relay, Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), WAN connectivity options and network troubleshooting. Students will gain hands-on experience with routers and switches in various local area networks, virtual local area networks, and wide area network topologies. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 2 with minimum 60% grade point average.

This course prepares students to be responsible for planning, installing, configuring, managing, and supporting a network infrastructure using the most recent Microsoft server platform. Building upon topics in CISA 1130 and CISA 1230, this course focuses on planning server deployment, infrastructure services, and active directory deployment. Topics also include planning application services, file and print services, storage solutions, high availability, server and network security, managing and monitoring servers, and backup strategies. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 2 with minimum 60% grade point average.

The Linux operating system provides robust networking and security features. Building upon knowledge from CISA 1240 and CISA 1140, this course provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to implement network services and access control (security) mechanisms. It includes core system administration, TCP/IP configuration, application of access control lists and firewall features, networking services, and integration of Linux systems into a network services infrastructure. Network services include Domain Name System (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Network File Services (NFS), web services (WWW), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), and more. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 2 with minimum 60% grade point average.

This course allows students the opportunity to work in small groups to complete case studies which provide a review of the concepts and topics covered in previous courses. Students are also encouraged to write the industry certifications and have full access to the laboratories and instructor expertise to work through related case exercises. Working in groups, the students are also required to create a presentation on an industry related topic. In addition students develop a personal portfolio that includes a resume, career goals, and notes on interview preparation. Teamwork and interpersonal skills are key elements emphasized in this course. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 2 with minimum 60% grade point average.

Students learn to design, install, configure, monitor and troubleshoot wireless local area networks (WLANs). The scope of the course includes medium-sized business and enterprise solutions. The course starts with the fundamentals of wireless communications, explores the operation of stand-alone wireless access points (APs), wireless security concepts, and then moves to controller based operations. Controller based operation provides the enterprise features and security required for today’s campuses. Students work with WLAN controllers, authentication-authorization and accounting (AAA) servers, light-weight access points, and wireless network management software. Security topics include open and web authentication, 802.1X/EAP (extensible authentication protocol) authentication, and 802.11i/WPA/WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) encryption for the client, access point, and the WLAN controllers and the underlying protocols for secure client support including EAP-FAST, EAP-PEAP, and EAP-TLS. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 3 with minimum 60% grade point average.

This course covers how to plan, configure, and verify the implementation of complex enterprise switching solutions using campus enterprise architecture with a focus on secure integration of VLANs, WLANs, voice, and video into campus networks. The course focuses on the selection and implementation of the appropriate services to build reliable, scalable multilayer-switched Local Area Networks (LANs). Students will study Campus network design; Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs), the Spanning Tree Protocol and the evolutions and improvements of it, routing design for inter-VLAN communication, design and implementation issues ensuring high availability in a switched campus environment, VoIP support and traffic optimization. This course is designed as a hands-on, lab-oriented course that stresses the design, implementation, operation, and troubleshooting of campus switched networks. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 3 with minimum 60% grade point average.

In this course, students learn to install and configure a Microsoft Windows Active Directory Environment in preparation for messaging services deployment. Students then learn to install, configure, and administer an enterprise messaging system that is integrated with Active Directory. Students will study the theory behind messaging systems, and through hands-on activities, they will learn to install, maintain, customize, and troubleshoot Microsoft Exchange Server and clients. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 3 with minimum 60% grade point average.

Students will learn the basic skills necessary to install, troubleshoot and monitor network devices that maintain integrity, confidentiality and availability of data and devices in a computer network. Students discuss network security policy and how it affects the operation of computer networks. Students will learn to perform basic tasks to secure a computer network using software security features available through Web-based GUIs and the command-line interface (CLI) on routers and switches. Discussions on the fundamentals of encryption and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) provide the background for students to configure and implement secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) communications connections. Students will be introduced to key regulations in Canada and North America as they relate to enterprise information technology. Students will research current codes of ethics and apply these as an integral part of their lab assignments. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 3 with minimum 60% grade point average.

This course first explores the operation of traditional telephone systems and the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Topics include analog to digital conversion, the North American digital hierarchy, local loop operation, and call routing considerations. Next the course moves to the fundamental of Voice over IP (VoIP) and how voice information is packetized. An examination of the infrastructure required to support VoIP along with the protocols used allows the students to deploy IP based phones within the lab. With basic operation in place more advanced voice features are explored and the students configure, customize, and troubleshoot the infrastructure and its functionality. Topics include how to setup IP phones, configure users, how to configure phones and users for Class of Service, and how to configure of user features such as Do Not Disturb, Conferencing, Shared Lines, and Barge. Multiple site operation and connectivity is discussed along with integration to the PSTN. Topics include dial plans, bandwidth management, and call admission control. With reliability a major concern, students explore options to provide redundant and/or backup connectivity within the VoIP infrastructure. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 4 (NSA option) with minimum 60% grade point average.

This course teaches students how to plan, configure, maintain, and scale a routed network. It focuses on using Cisco routers connected in LANs and WANs typically found at medium-to-large network sites. IP routing concepts and routing protocols are explored in depth. Students spend considerable time implementing laboratory networks that utilize IP routing on Cisco routers. Topics include OSPF, EIGRP, IS-IS, BGPv4, route summarization, route redistribution, route filtering, VLSM, NAT, and advanced Access Control Lists. After completing this course, students will be able to select and implement the appropriate Cisco IOS services required to build a scalable, routed network. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 4 (NSA option) with minimum 60% grade point average.

In this course, students will learn to implement messaging network services using BIND and a mail server application such as Postfix. Students will review Domain Name System (DNS) fundamentals and will be introduced to BIND Administration to provide a sound understanding of this fundamental Internet service. Students will also be introduced to new DNS standards such as DNS for mobile phones (ENUM), and internationalized DNS (IDN). Students will learn how mail is transported using Postfix in order to understand the process and path of mail delivery within the enterprise, using Linux. Students will learn how to configure a basic Postfix server and be able to verify a proper configuration using the available tools. A review of basic DNS and Linux concepts will be provided at the start of the course. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 4 (NSA option) with minimum 60% grade point average.

This course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to design and implement security in Microsoft network. It begins with the subject of security policies and discusses the risks associated with enterprise networks systems. Students will consider how computers and servers on an enterprise network are at risk, how they are typically compromised, and how to respond to a compromise through investigation and clean up. Students will be exposed to concepts such as operating system hardening, secure network design, security incident response plans, firewall system design, intrusion detection and prevention techniques. During the course, students will install software based firewalls as a tool to explore security issues. Implementation training includes the configuration of security features such as access policies, packet filters, server publishing, web proxy caching, public-key infrastructure, and cryptography via Internet Protocol Security (IPSec), Virtual Private Network (VPN) solutions, and troubleshooting security problems. Ethics will be an integral part of the discussions on network security. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 4 (NSA option or ESA option) with minimum 60% grade point average.

This course builds on students’ previous knowledge of CISA 3240 and explores security concepts with a focus on fire-walling and intrusion prevention and testing. Hands-on activities include extensive use of firewall appliances from a variety of vendors. Students will also learn how to scan, test, and secure their own systems. The lab environment will provide each student in-depth knowledge and practical experience with the current essential security systems. Students will explore how perimeter defences work and then have the opportunity to scan and attack their own private networks. Students then learn how intruders escalate privileges and what steps can be taken to secure a system. Students will also learn about Intrusion Detection, DDoS Attacks, Buffer Overflows and Policy Creation. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 5 (NSA option) with minimum 60% grade point average.

This course introduces the concepts of managing a complex computer network infrastructure. Students will launch applications that monitor activities on the network, provide secure management of the networking devices, and provide active responses to various network conditions. The specific applications used to achieve secure network management will change over the years according to changes in the latest available and standardized network management packages. Examples of network management applications include: HP OpenView, CiscoWorks, Open Source, Net-SNMP, NetDirector, MRTG, Spiceworks, ServersCheck, and OpenNMS. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 5 (NSA option) with minimum 60% grade point average.

This course teaches students how to monitor and troubleshoot complex, enterprise routed and switched IP networks. Skills learned include the planning and execution of regular network maintenance, as well as support and troubleshooting using technology-based processes and best practices, in a systematic and ITIL-compliant approach. Extensive labs emphasize hands-on learning and practice to reinforce troubleshooting techniques. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 5 (NSA option) with minimum 60% grade point average.

Building upon knowledge from Messaging Services 1 & 2, students learn to configure and manage A/V Conferencing and Web Conferencing as well as Enterprise Voice functionality. Students will learn to implement, maintain, and deploy Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS) and/or Microsoft Communications Server (MCS). This course covers the design and implementation of a Communications Server deployment, including support for full-featured voice/video conferencing, integration with legacy or IP PBX vendors for phone devices and feature support, instant messaging, and group chat solutions. Students will learn how to Integrate MCS with support for Exchange Unified Messaging, including support for Blackberry Enterprise Server and smart-phone support. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 5 (NSA option) with minimum 60% grade point average.

In this capstone course, students design, build, test and troubleshoot a complex computer network. The project requires the students to work in groups to complete the project within the allotted time. Specifications include the use of tools and applications used in previous levels, and configuration of multiple routers, switches, servers, firewalls, and clients in an enterprise organization, according to the project design requirements. Students will utilize all the skills they have accumulated during the program and develop teamwork skills, time management, report writing, presentation, and networking skills abilities. Prerequisite: Successful completion of CISA Level 5 (NSA option) with minimum 60% grade point average.